Friday, March 26, 2010

Orange - Blueberry Yogurt Bread - and a reminder for March's Family Recipes!

I've been going through my freezer and pantry, tyring to use of some of the food that I've stashed away. I still have blueberries from last summer that I need to use, so I wanted to make a blueberry bread that was just a bit different. I settled on an orange quick bread recipe and added blueberries to it. It is a wonderfully flavored quick bread and would be a great addition to an Easter brunch, or for anytime you have a craving for a delicious blueberry bread. This makes a large loaf of bread, which took longer to bake than the directions. I'm assuming that was because of the addition of frozen blueberries. To keep the bread from browning too much, I laid a piece of foil over the pan the last 15 minutes or so of baking. The next time I make this bread, I will add the glaze while the bread is warm, rather than waiting until it cools. I'll also add a few more blueberries and maybe another teaspoon of orange zest. I love the way the orange and blueberry complement each other and the texture of this yogurt bread is almost like a pound cake. This dense, orange flavored bread dotted with tangy blueberries is perfect with a cup of coffee or tea for anytime of the day. We love it!

Just a reminder that the deadline for submitting a recipe for March's Family Recipes Round-Up is March 31! Don't forget; you can find all the ruleshere.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy- add eggs, one at a time and beat thoroughly. Stir in the yogurt, orange juice and orange zest.

In another bowl, mix the flour, soda, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture and stir until flour is just combined. Gently fold in the frozen or fresh blueberries, taking care not to smash them. Batter will be thick. Pour batter into a greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Original directions say to bake 55-65 minute, but it took 75 minutes for mine. When done, cool for 10minutes in pan. Then remove bread from pan. Glaze while warm if desired. Have a big piece with a cup of coffee. Enjoy!

NOTE: The bread is rather crusty the first day, but softens some by the next day. Delicious either way!